Folder imprinter



United States Patent Inventor Fred A. Brown Stamford. Conn. Appl. No. 755,993 Filed Aug. 28, 1968 Patented Dec. 29, 1970 Assignee Pitney-Bowes, Inc.

Stamford, Conn. a corporation of Delaware FOLDER IMPRINTER 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 270/20, 101/235 Int. Cl B4lf 13/56 Field of Search 270/20, 68; 101/235, 236; 270/20 [561 References Cited LNlTED STATES PATENTS 1.243.032 10/1917 Barr 270/20 2.693.754 11/1954 Persson 101/235 2.802.416 8/1957 Karkow 101/235 3.037.447 6/1962 Gonzalez l0l/235X Prinmrr Examiner-Lawrence Charles Attorneys-William D. Soltow. .lr.. Albert W. Scribner and Martin D. Wittstein ABSTRACT: A device for imprinting information on folded sheets of paper as the latter emerge from a folding machine. The device is a rotary printer mounted on a shaft of the folding machine and driven thereby, and includes a one-revolution clutch connection with the shaft which is controlled by paper actuated switches in the folding machine so that operation of the imprinting device can be cyclically controlled to print at a preselected location on each folded sheet of paper emerging from the folding machine.

PATENIEU DECZ 9 mm SHEET 1 UF 2 P Bum-0 ATTORNEY SHEET 2 OF 2 l2 5s 70 92 62 s: 52 66 M l8 k\ i 46 /'/7 7/77- 1 N VENTOR. FRED A. BROWN ATTORNEY FOLDER IMPRINTER This invention relates in general to sheet folding machines and in particular to a sheet folding machine which imprints information on the folded sheets.

Sheet folding machines are conventionally used to fold letter or other sheets for subsequent distribution. It is frequently desirable to place information on the folded sheet in the form of printed identification marks or some other printed indicia. For'example, when letters or bills are sent requesting a return of a document such as a questionnaire only a small portion of documents are returned. Then, after subsequent mailings of the same questionnaire and additional documents are returned it is desirable to be able to distinguish whether the document is the result of the first or subsequent mailings. This can be accomplished by imprinting identifying information on the sheets as they are folded for mailing. In many cases the same document is mailed to various locations, such as different states, and upon return there is no way to identify the area from which the document was returned. In cases of this type imprinting information on the documents as they are folded just prior to insertion into envelopes provides the distinguishing information on the sheet without altering or reprinting the document.

It is the primary object of the present invention to print information on sheet material as the sheet material is folded in a folding machine.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple imprinting device which will print information on sheets as the sheets are being moved through a folding machine.

Further objects of this invention are to improve sheet fold ing machines by combining the folding operationwith an imprinting operation to provide simultaneous completion of both operations, and to provide an imprinter which is actuated through one operational cycle by a sheet in a folding machine to provide identifying information on the sheet. I

These and other objects of the inventionare attained by means of a rotatable indicia or print head mounted on an output roller of a folding machine and having controls actuatable by a sheet in the folder, to rotate the print head through one operational cycle as the sheet being folded passes the output roller.

The invention is disclosed in the appended drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a portion of a sheet folding machine with parts broken away and which embodies the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front view of a portion of an imprinting roller used in folding machine shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a partial front sectional view taken along the axis of the imprinting roller shown in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. I of the drawings there is shown the essential elements of a typical buckle chute-type sheet folding machine. Folding machines of the buckle chute-type are well known in the art and are shown in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,589,436 and 2,75 l,22l. The essential elements of the folding machine, as shown herein, consists of a sheet feeding tray 2 adapted to position and feed individual sheets to a folding roller assembly 4 which in turn drives the sheet into a buckle chute assembly 6. The folding roller assembly 4 then folds and creases the sheet while it is in the buckle chute assembly and drives it down into the lower portion of the buckle chute assembly 6. The sheet is then again folded and creased by the folding roller assembly 4 and discharged onto a receiving tray 14. i I

The folding roller assembly 4 is composed of two folding rollers 16 and I7, and a discharge roller 18 clustered about; and in contact with a drive roller 15 which is driven in conventional manner by a source of power, not shown herein. The rollers 15, 16,17 and 18 are mounted on shafts 20, 21,22 and 23 respectively. which shafts are supported by suitable bearings and side plates of the folding machine. The shafts 21, 22 and 23 are spring loaded so that the rollers l6, l7 and 18 are urged into contact with the roller 15. The buckle chute structure 6 comprises outer and inner guide members 25 and 27 respectively, which are spaced apart to permit the sheet, or folds of the sheet, to pass therebetween. Each guide member comprises a plurality of strap elements which are spaced apart, across the length of the roller assembly 4. The support structure for the guides 25 and 27 is not critical to the present invention and is not shown herein. The: guide members 25 and 27 are arranged in an upper and lower partical cylindrical formation with two straight sheet receiving ends converging tangentially from the cylindrical portions thereof, and forming a sheet receiving mouth 24 positioned adjacent the nip of the rollers 15 and 17. A second sheet receiving mouth 26 is formed at the opposite end of the guide members 25 and 27 and is positioned adjacent to the nip of the rollers 15 and 18. A sheet of paper fed between the rollers 15 and 16, as indicated by the top arrow in FIG. I, would be fed into the mouth 24 of the guides 25 and 27. A sheet being fed out of the mouth 24 of the guide 25 and 27 would be fed into the nip of the rollers 15 and 17. A sheet being fed through the rollers 15 and 17 would be directed towards the mouth 26 of the lower end of the guides 25 and 27 and a sheet being fed out of the mouth 26 would extend into the nip of the rollers 15 and 18.

A pair of document stop members 8 and 10 are positioned relative to the buckle chute assembly 6 to limit the distance that a sheet extends between the guides 25 and 27. The stop unit 8, which will be referred to as the first fold stop unit, comprises a supporting bar member 28 which extends across the span of the buckle chute 6, and has a series of stop tabs 30 which extend into the lateral spaces between the individual straps of the buckle chute. The second. fold stop unit 10 comprises a bar 32 and tab members 34 which likewise extend between the straps of the buckle chute 6 in the path of movement of a sheet between the guide members 25 and 27. The fold stop units 8 and 10 are both adjustable towards and away from the roller assembly 4. Thus, the extent to which a sheet passes between the guide chutes 25 and 27 can be limited by adjusting the position of the stop units 8 and 10. When a sheet is to be fed through the folding machine the first fold stop unit 8 is adjusted to a position which is a distance from the nip of the rollers 15 and 17 equal to the distance from the lead end of the sheet to the first fold. The second stop assembly 10 is adjusted a distance from the nip of the two rollers 15 and 18 equal to the distance desired from the first fold to the second fold on the sheet. If the sheet is to be folded only once the second fold stop assembly 10 is moved] to its forward position adjacent the roller assembly 4 and thus it deflects the sheet directly into the nip of the rollers 15 and 18 instead of into the mouth 26 of the guides 25 and 27.

In operation a sheet of paper or the like is fed from the sheet feeding tray, in the direction indicated by the uppermost arrow in FIG. 1, into the nip of the rollers 15 and 16. The first fold stop unit 8 has previously been adjusted to the position which will produce the fold desired on the sheet. The rolls 15 and 16'drive the sheet forward with the lead edge extending into the mouth 24 of the guides 25 and 27. The sheet is driven forward between the guides 25 and 27 until the lead edge encounters the tabs 30 of the first fold stop unit 8. At this point the rollers 15 and 16 continue to urge the sheet forward while the lead edge is restrained by the tabs 30. The sheet thus buckles downwardly into the nip of the rollers 15 and 17. The rotational movement of the rollers 15 and 17 pull the sheet into the nip of the rollers producing a crease or fold and then drives the sheet downwardly out of both the guides 25 and 27 and the rollers 15 and 16. The sheet with the crease or folded end forward is then driven into the mouth 26 of the guide until the lead edge encounters the tabs 34 of the second fold stop unit 10. The second fold stop unit 10 has also been previously adjusted to the position necessary to produce the desired second fold in the sheet. When the lead edge of the sheet encounters the tabs 34 the forward motion of the sheet between the guides 25 and 27 is stopped while the rollers 15 and I7 continue to urge the sheet downwardly causing the sheet to buckle into the nip of the rollers 15 and 18. The rotational movement of the rollers 15 and I8 produce a crease or fold in the sheet and drive the sheet out of the guides 25 and 27 in the direction of the bottom arrow. The sheet is deposited on the receiving tray 14 and stacking belt 36. During movement of the folded sheet between the rollers 15 and 18, the imprinting unit 12 may be energized to imprint the desired information on the folded sheet.

The imprinting unit 12 is shown in details in FIGS. 2 and 3. One portion of the exit roller 18 has been removed from the shaft 23 to accommodate the imprinting assembly 12. The imprinting assembly is held in place on the shaft 23 by means of a collar 40 secured to the shaft, by means of a setscrew 42. The collar prevents longitudinal movement of the assembly along the shaft and provides rotation for the assembly with the shaft. The inner face of the collar 40 is undercut to accommodate a friction disc 44 which, in conjunction with a second friction disc 46 at the opposite end of the assembly 12 abutting the face of the roller 18, provides engagement of the imprinting unit 12 with the shaft 23 to provide rotation therewith. The second friction disc 46 is mounted in a hub 48 rotatably mounted on the shaft 23 and extending between the collar 40 and the roller 18. The hub 48 is externally threaded to accommodate a knurled spring adjusting nut 50 and a knurled print head tightening nut 52. The spring adjusting nut 50 is used to adjust the pressure of the assembly 12 against the friction disc 44 and 46 and the tightening nut 50 is used to removably secure the print head 54 to the hub 48.

A single-revolution-type clutch mechanism 56 is mounted around the hub 48 with one end in contact with the friction disc 44 on the collar 40. The clutch 56 is secured to the hub 48 for rotational movement therewith by means of a dog point setscrew 58 which extends through the clutch into a longitudinal slot 60 in the hub 48. The slot 60 extends longitudinal relative to the hub so that the clutch 56 may move longitudinally along the hub 48. A compression spring 62 is wrapped around the hub 48 and bears against the clutch 56 and the spring adjusting nut 50. The spring 62 urges the clutch 56 longitudinally along the hub 48 into contact with the friction disc 44. Adjustment of the pressure between the clutch 56 and the friction disc 44 is accomplished by positioning the threaded spring adjusting nut 50 along the hub 48. Since the nut 50 engages the hub 48 the pressure exerted by the spring 62 through the clutch 56 to the friction disc 44 is also exerted in the opposite direction through the nut 50 to the hub 48 forcing the friction disc 46 against the face of the roller 18. Therefore, absent any restraining force the assembly 12 would normally rotate with the shaft 23 through contact with the friction discs 44 and 46.

One end of the hub 48 is adapted to receive an indicia or print slug 54. The hub 48 as shown herein, has an L-shaped undercut portion 64 adapted to receive and hold a projection or foot on the print head 54, though any means of holding the slug in position on the hub would be satisfactory. A mounting ring 66 is concentrically mounted on the hub 48 and longitudinally movable along the hub to bear against the side surface of the type member forcing the foot of the type member into the undercut portion of the hub 48. The knurled tightening nut 52 is adapted to be adjusted along the hub 48 to bear against the mounting ring 66 forcing the mounting ring against the type slug 54. With the nut 52 and the mounting ring 66 bearing against the type head 54 the projection on the type ,7 head is urged to the undercut portion 64 of the hub 48 securing the type in position wherein the face of the type is concentric with and slightly above the outer surface roller 18. When the type slug is not equal in length to the outer circumference of the roller 18. a spacer 70 of the same general shape as the type slug S4 is positioned between the mounting ring 66 and the hub 48 to hold the mounting ring 66 normal to the hub and thus equalize the force exerted on the slug and the spacer ring and to prevent any circumferential displacement of the type slug during printing operation.

As the printing assembly 12 rotates the print 72. on the slug 54. contacts an inker roller 76 prior to rotating into contact with a sheet moving between the rollers 15 and 18. The inker 76. as shown herein is of the type comprising a porous material saturated with ink and adapted to be rotated in contact with the type. As seen in FIG. 1 the inker 76 is suspended from a bracket 78 in a position beneath a roller 18 in contact with the type on slug 54. The bracket 78 is mounted on a frame of the folding machine and is adjustable by means of a positioning screw 80 and a slot 82 in the bracket.

The imprinted information may be placed on a folded sheet passing between the rollers 15 and 18 by allowing the printing assembly 12 to rotate with the roller 18. However, the imprinted information would be placed on the folded sheet once for each revolution of the roller 18 unless the printing assembly is restrained except during a desired printing cycle. The single-revolution clutch 56 has an undercut or stop surface 84 which is adapted to engage a pawl or latch 86. The latch 86 is secured to and pivoted about a pin 88 and is urged into contact with the clutch 56 by means of a tension spring 90. With the tension spring 90 urging the latch 86 to pivot about the pin 88 into contact with the surface 92 of the clutch 56 the clutch will rotate through one revolution until the stop surface 84 engages the end of the latch 86. At this point the clutch 56 is restrained and the rotation of the hub 48 is also restrained by means of the setscrew 58 with the dog point extending into the longitudinal slot 60. The collar 40 and the roller 18 continue to rotate against the action of the friction discs 44 and 46. The clutch 56 can be actuated to allow a single revolution of the assembly 12 by means of a solenoid sol-l being energized to withdraw a linkage member 94 connected between the latch 86 and the core of the solenoid. When the solenoid is energized the latch 86 is withdrawn from contact with the stop surface 84 permitting the clutch to revolve through one revolution. Deenergizing the solenoid allows the tension spring 90 to draw the latch 86 back into contact with the surface 92 of the clutch 56 until the end of the latch again engages the stop surface 84. thus allowing only one revolution of the printing assembly 12 for each energization of the solenoid sol-1. If it is desired to print the information more than once on each document passing between the rollers 15 and 18 then the solenoid sol-1 may either be held in the energized position with the latch 86 withdrawn from the clutch 56 until the desired number of revolutions are completed or the solenoid may be intermittently energized to permit a series of single revolutions of the printing assembly 12 as desired.

Energization of the solenoid sol-1 and rotation of the printing assembly 12 is timed to coincide with passage of the folded sheet over the roller 18 by means of a switch SW-l mounted on the first fold stop unit 8. The actuating arm 96 of the switch SW-l extends into the path of movement of the sheet to be folded. as the sheet moves between the guides 25 and 27. A second switch SW-2 is mounted on the second fold stop unit 10 with its actuating arm 98 also extending into the path of movement of the folded sheet between the guide 25 and 27. in order to energize the solenoid sol-1 both switches SW-l and SW-2 must be actuated to energize holding circuits or relays. When only one fold is to be made, that is when the sheet is not to be inserted into the mouth 26 of the chute assembly 6, then the stop 10 is moved to the extreme forward position. A switch actuator, not shown herein, is positioned to engage the actuating arm 98 when the stop 10 is moved to the forwardmost position and will close the switch SW2 so that actuation of the switch SW-l by the lead edge of a sheet will energize the solenoid sol-l to print on the folded sheet as it passes over the roll 18. The circuitry required to energize the solenoid in response to the actuation of the switches SW-l and SW-2 is conventional and well known to one skilled in the art and therefore is not shown herein.

While the invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed herein. it is not confined to the details set forth. and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes or as may come within the purpose or scope of the following claims.

l claim:

1. In combination. a sheet folding machine having a buckle chute anda series of fold rollers which fold and crease a sheet of paper in accordance with the location of adjustable stops in the buckle chute and which feeds folded sheets from the buckle chute over a continuously rotating exit roller onto a receiving tray. an imprinter located on the exit roller substantially concentric with the surface thereof and comprising:

a hub member mounted for rotation with the exit roller;

printing means including a print head mounted on the hub concentric with and slightly elevated above the surface of the exit roller. means to removably secure the print head to the hub, and inking means positioned to apply ink to the surface of the print head upon rotation of the hub member;

means frictionally engaging the hub member to the exit roller for rotation therewith;

restraining means adapted to prevent rotation of the hub member with the exit roller; and

control means responsive to the movement of a sheet through the folding machine to release the restraining means to thereby allow the hub member and print head to rotate with exit roller through at least one revolution as the folded sheet passes over the exit roller.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the control means includes switching means positioned in the path of movement of a sheet through the folder and actuatable by the sheet to release the restraining means.

3. In combination, a sheet folding machine having a buckle chute and a series of fold rollers which fold and crease a sheet of paper in accordance with the location of adjustable stops in the buckle chute and which feeds folded sheets from the buckle chute over a continuously rotating exit roller onto a receiving tray, an imprinter located on the exit roller substantially concentric with the surface thereof and comprising:

a hub member mounted on said exit: roller; printing means mounted on said hub member including a print head located concentric with and slightly elevated above the surface of said exit roller; friction means normally engaging the hub means with the exit roller for rotation therewith; one-revolution clutch means operatively associated with the hub member for normally restraining rotation of the hub member and for releasing the hub member for rotation with the exit roller when the clutch means is actuated; and control means responsive to the movement of a sheet of paper through the folding machine for actuating the clutch means in timed relation with the movement of the sheet to effect contact between the print head and the sheet of paper as the latter passes over the exit roller.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the clutch means includes a member mounted on and rotatable with the hub member and having a stop surface projecting therefrom, and a movable stop member operable in one position to engage the stop surface and prevent movement of said member and in another position to permit rotation of said member.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said control means includes a switch mounted on the adjustable stops in the buckle chute of the folding machine, said switch being actuable by the sheet being folded, whereby the timed relation of the actuation of the clutch means with the passage of the sheet over the exit roller is maintained regardless of the size of fold being made in the sheet. I 

